§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if under the Green Paper proposals (a) men retiring at 60 years will be credited with contributions towards a full retirement pension at 65 years, (b) women working after 60 years will continue to get a 7 per cent. increase, above the basic pension, for each year worked and (c) women working after 60 years will continue to be exempt from national insurance contributions;
(2) if, under the Green Paper proposals on social security, women will continue to receive the full national insurance basic state pension when they retire at 60 years on the basis of the same contribution conditions as now.
§ Mr. NewtonThe Green Paper makes no proposals for change in relation to the award of national insurance contribution credits for men over the age of 60, the payment of increments for periods of deferred retirement, exemption from contribution liability for women over 60 or the contribution conditions for basic retirement pension. Comments are, however, invited in paragraph 1.80 of volume 2 on how the state pension scheme might be made more flexible, for example with a decade of retirement between ages 60 and 70, without imposing unacceptably high extra costs.
§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many women retired at 60 years on a full basic state pension in 1983–84 and 1984–85, respectively;
(2) how many men and how many women earned extra retirement pension by deferring retirement to 70 and 65 years, respectively, during 1983–84 and 1984–85; and what was the average size of the increased weekly basic pension.
§ Mr. NewtonI shall let the hon. Member have replies as soon as possible.